These last three days have been fabulous being able to jump on to RootTech Connect and listen to different podcasts about and for genealogy. When I have time between errands and chores, I've been able to connect with cousins and be energized by all the possibilities that are associated with searching for who we came from and what their stories are and why our stories will be important in a later generation. There is a very interesting segment on DNA and what our connection to the wider world and events can mean. The technologies to make our lives richer and fuller are stunning!
There is a whole segment that helps us connect with our cousins from around the world. I've "met" a young man off a mission who knew two of my really good friends who were his mission president and wife, a mother and daughter who collect recipes from relatives all over the world, a very knowledgeable genealogist of over 20 years, a cousin from Missouri with the same name, cousins who have visited Ghana a little earlier, and a cousin who wants to start a Facebook page for a mini-reunion. Who knows who I will meet next?!
For my cousins looking for recipes.....I seem to have a lot about food on this blog! Feel free to pick any of these recipes:) I can't say I have specific family favorites, though I tend to make things that one of my children comment favorably on. The cabbage stew was commented on favorably here in Ghana.
Lately, the missionaries in Ghana have commented on hot rolls brought over. Here is my basic bread recipe (from California) that I make into rolls, bread, pizza crust, or whatever, that is simple.
Water - depends how much you bread you want - 3 cups is normal - six cups gets unwieldy unless you have an industrial mixer.
Oil - you need about 2 Tablespoons per cup unless you want a softer bread, add a little more, crustier bread use less or none at all.
Sugar - I always use honey, about a heaping serving spoon. More or less depending on your final product. You can use white, brown sugar, agave, or any other sweetener - the sugar makes the yeast grow. Use more for sweet rolls, less for pizza
Salt - just enough to make bread interesting - approximately 1/4 teaspoon per cup of water - I usually thrown in a teaspoon and a half for six cups of flour.
Yeast - if using a packet, one packet (for 3 cups of water)- if using from a bottle of loose yeast about a heaping tablespoon for 3 cups of water. There are so many different possibilities of yeast!
Flour - Approximately two cups per cup of water - more or less
Directions:
In a nice big bowl add warm water (3 cups), then add honey, oil, salt, and yeast give it a stir (this is where I make sure my yeast starts to bubble - no bubbles dead yeast, start over). The instant the yeast starts to bubble I throw in half the flour (about 3 cups) and make sure everything is thoroughly mixed up. Then I'll add two more cups of flour and mix up with my hands, I leave a bowl of flour at the side to mix in as needed.
The more you work the dough the smoother the texture is at the finish. (This is great for aggravating times and can work out a lot of aggression as you ponder what you are going to do.) I add flour until the wet shine is gone. It is okay if the dough is sticky, but doesn't taste as great if the dough is really stiff.
When the dough has elasticity - smoothness, scrape it into a ball, wash your hands and add a little oil on top. I cover with a damp cloth sometimes. Let the dough rise till double in bulk. If you poke a hole and the hole retains its shape it's done.
Shape into whatever you want using flour to keep stickiness down: rolls, bread pan, braid, three balls in each muffin tin, as pizza crust, etc. Parchment or baking paper is really great to line baking sheets, bread pans, etc. Or you can grease, oil, butter or spray your pans.
Let rise at least 20 minutes or more (maybe till double again) - I usually preheat the oven during this time. 350 to 375 degrees. Rolls - higher heat less time, bread lower heat more time. The more dense the lower heat and more time than the lighter items. I cook rolls about 8 to 12 minutes depending on size. The bread can be 20 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the loaf pan. Pizza bread dough can be baked 5 or 10 minutes after shaping - add ingredients on top and bake.
Have fun!
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| Sure glad my oven is temperature controlled! |
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